Press Release: Wednesday, June 5, 2013

FHJC Welcomes Kumiki Gibson as New Executive Director

New York, NY – The Board of Directors of the Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC) is pleased to announce the hiring of Kumiki Gibson, a dedicated and experienced civil rights lawyer, as its Executive Director. Prior to joining the FHJC, Ms. Gibson served as Commissioner of the New York State Division of Human Rights, the State’s civil rights agency, where she prosecuted discrimination cases, including housing discrimination cases.

Prior to that service, Ms. Gibson served as Senior Vice President for Administration & Governance at the National Urban League, one of the country’s oldest civil rights organizations. Ms. Gibson also has extensive policy experience, serving as Counsel to Vice President Albert Gore in the first term of the Clinton-Gore Administration. Ms. Gibson has also been a partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Williams & Connolly, and has served as a trial attorney in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division at the United States Department of Justice.

“Ms. Gibson, who has extensive experience in the public, not-for-profit, and for-profit sectors, and in policy-making, is a perfect fit with the FHJC’s enforcement and policy work,” said Gene Capello, FHJC Board President. “We look forward to expanding our work under Ms. Gibson’s leadership.” Fred Freiberg, who had been serving as the FHJC’s Interim Executive Director will return to his position as Field Services Director.

About FHJC: The mission of the FHJC is to eliminate housing discrimination, promote open, accessible, and inclusive communities, and strengthen enforcement of fair housing laws. The FHJC assists individuals who encounter illegal housing discrimination by providing counseling on fair housing rights, investigative assistance, and referrals to administrative agencies and cooperating attorneys. Individuals who need assistance with housing discrimination complaints are encouraged to call the FHJC at (212) 400-8201.